ICCL urges parties to reform justice system, block surveillance and protect minorities

Civil liberties organisation launches its election manifesto

14 November 2024

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) is today launching its general election manifesto, setting out 37 measures – nine of them high-priority – to protect civil liberties and human rights in Ireland:

• Reform Ireland’s criminal justice system to better protect the rights of victims and people accused of crimes, including abolishing the Special Criminal Court;
• Oppose the introduction of facial recognition technology (FRT) into Irish policing;
• Uphold the human rights of everyone in Ireland, including women, people seeking international protection, the LGBTI+ community and other minority groups;
• Guarantee independence and access to funding for the community and voluntary sector;
• Aid the reform of the Data Protection Commission.

Speaking today, Claire Mc Evoy, Head of Research and Policy, said:

“Human rights and democracy are under attack around the world. ICCL reminds Irish political parties that human rights are legally binding State obligations and should be front and centre in policy-making.

“Ireland prides itself on being a global human rights leader, but we need to live up to this at home too. The next government and Oireachtas will face significant new challenges. Ireland is not immune to the forces of regression hoping to roll back and our hard-won human rights protections.

“At a time of unprecedented pressures on the human rights system globally this general election is a moment for our political parties to recommit to protecting Ireland’s rights and democratic norms. We hope to see all political parties committing to protect human rights and subsequently, we’ll be campaigning for these commitments to be included in the Programme for Government.”